Silver Ferns miss out on Netball World Championship title
Yet another sporting loss for Kiwis, and a so-close-yet-so-far moment for the Silver Ferns and New Zealand netball fans. I know it’s only a game, but it’s a game that’s tied up with our national pride!
The Silver Ferns put up an excellent fight in the 2007 Netball World Championships final against a strong Australian team, eventually losing 42-38 in a gripping finale.
The two teams (rivals going way back) were evenly matched, but Australia played an uncompromising game to beat the well-prepared Ferns. In a match that was marked by a lack of free-flowing play, the Ferns battled hard and kept the eyes of the 7,000-strong crowd glued to the court.
The Kiwis began the match with a fast paced, assertive attack, taking the early initiative against their long-standing rivals. Silver Ferns shooter Irene van Dyk fought for dominance against Australian shooter Liz Ellis, but the team failed to keep their stronger Australian counterparts at bay for long.
In the third quarter a New Zealand win looked possible once again, but Australia fought hard to regain control of the game. Fighting back in the final quarter, the Ferns failed once more to halt Australia’s advance, eventually losing by four goals to hand the Netball World Championship title to Australia.
Van Dyk said of the loss:
“Everybody was disappointed, everybody shed a tear. We worked so hard for it but in some ways that’s better because we did all we could.”
Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aiken backed this view, saying:
“I feel hugely disappointed for the players. They gave it their all. It was an amazing game. We kept coming back but couldn’t quite do it when we needed to. I am very proud of them but absolutely devastated.”
I’m sure she’s not the only one feeling that way. Seems like it’s not a sparkling year for New Zealand sport…
